Maui News

The County of Maui Mayor’s Sustainability Speaker Series will feature Chief Joe Alphonse of Tsilhqot’in Nation in British Columbia, Canada, who will speak on indigenous conservation practices on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

All three of University of Hawaiʻi’s four-year universities earned high marks in the US News and World Report 2025 Best Colleges rankings released on Tuesday, including three top-five rankings for UH West Oʻahu, a top-10 national ranking for UH Hilo and UH Mānoa, and a top-20 national ranking for the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business’ international business program.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., recognized winners of the Governor’s Awards on Monday. The recognition event was designed to honor state executive branch employees, managers and work teams who exemplify the highest caliber of public service and dedication in serving the people of Hawai‘i. The statewide program is administered by the Department of Human Resources Development.

Maui’s Katherine Patricio was honored recently with the Spirit of the Judiciary Award at the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s 2024 Employee Awards Ceremony at Aliʻiōlani Hale, home of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. Patricio is a Second Circuit supervisor in the Adult Client Services Branch and has had a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years.

CDL and non-CDL positions are available in Human Services transportation and non-CDL positions in paratransit.  MEO operates The Maui Bus ADA paratransit curb-to-curb transportation and the County of Maui Human Services transportation, which takes qualified riders to their jobs, medical appointments, dialysis, shopping and other destinations.

The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) is putting on a wellness festival at the UH Maui College Great Lawn this Saturday, Sept. 28 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. All are welcome to come together for a day of fun and wellness.

Even before a bill’s drafted to rein in Maui’s runaway long-term rental increases, the chair of the Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee said she’s not considering any legislation that regulates rent.

GEN Korean BBQ House will hold a grand opening Saturday of its first Maui location at the Puʻunēnē Shopping Center in Kahului, the national restaurant chain known for its “grill at your table” experience announced today. A “soft” opening was on Monday.

A brush fire burned 80 acres on Molokaʻi before it was fully contained at around 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday. The fire was first reported at 10:25 a.m. on Sept. 24, 2024 in the area of Naiwa St., south of the Molokaʻi Airport. Fire officials say one small shack was damaged and an abandoned vehicle burned in the fire. The value of damages has not yet been determined.

The County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety received the Lahaina Fire Summary of Findings and Conclusions report from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura was briefed by ATF on the report today, Sept. 25, 2024. 

DOFAW field staffers are planning to use drone technology to apply the citric treatment to control the coqui infestation found at these higher elevations. Aloha ʻĀina Drones, a Hilo-based operation specializing in agricultural and conservation drone applications, is contracted to do the work.

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) called for additional disaster relief funding when Congress returns in November. Speaking on the Senate floor, Schatz stressed the need to provide disaster survivors on Maui and in other disaster-impacted communities with flexible, long-term assistance in the form of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding. The said this will enable them to rebuild their homes and communities as quickly as possible.

Kauanoe Batangan has been appointed executive director of the Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization (Maui MPO), the agency responsible for coordinating federal highway and transit investments on the island of Maui. He started in the job Sept. 3.

Permit applications for the recreational use of County pools, gyms, fields, stadiums and tennis courts during the winter-spring period of Jan. 1 to April 15, 2025, are being accepted by the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation starting Oct. 1, 2024.

Attorney General Anne Lopez is applauding the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court’s unanimous decision of Rosehill v. State of Hawaiʻi, Land Use Commission, where the court held that farm dwellings in the agricultural district cannot be used as short-term vacation rentals under Hawaiʻi law.

The US Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies, has completed debris removal from all residential properties devastated by the August 2023 wildfires in Lahaina. The milestone marks the return of 1,390 completed residential properties to the County of Maui. Property owners are now able to apply for building permits as part of the next phase in the rebuilding process.

A lack of fresh water resources has long held back housing development on Maui. And now that there’s a post-disaster housing shortage, the Maui County Council will consider Friday a resolution calling for increased production and expansion of recycled wastewater use to make more potable water available for human consumption.

The County of Maui Department of Public Works will be performing maintenance and repair projects within the Wailuku River Flood Control Channel starting on Oct.1, 2024.

Mālama Hamakua Maui invites the community to a special “Kōkua Saturday” planting event on Sept. 28, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The event will take place at the Hamakualoa Open Space Preserve, located off of Hahana Road. Those unfamiliar with the area can meet at the Haʻikū Community Center at 8:35 a.m. and caravan to the site.

As West Maui rebuilds from the 2023 wildfires, Kā‘anapali Beach Resort has expanded its commitment to restoring the region’s ecosystem through Treecovery’s reforestation efforts. With four new grow hubs across the resort and more than 1,600 trees donated, Kā‘anapali Beach Resort is nurturing the community’s long-term ecological and cultural resilience.